The Perfect Desktop - Linux Mint 3.1 "Celena" FE

Version 1.0
Author: Oliver Meyer <o [dot] meyer [at] projektfarm [dot] de>
Last edited 10/15/2007

This document describes how to set up a Linux Mint 3.1 "full edition" desktop. The result is a fast, secure and extendable system that provides all you need for daily work and entertainment. Linux Mint 3.1 builds upon Ubuntu Feisty and is compatible to its repositories - about 22.000 packages are available.

This howto is a practical guide without any warranty - it doesn't cover the theoretical backgrounds. There are many ways to set up such a system - this is the way I chose.

1 Installation

1.1 Get Linux Mint "Celena" 3.1 FE

The cd-image is available at http://linuxmint.com/download.html.

1.2 Live

Start/restart your computer and insert the live-cd - be sure that your bios is configured to boot from your cd/dvd drive first. If there are no special reasons to do something else, select "Start Linux Mint" in the first window to boot the live-cd.

The live-cd is starting up.

A few moments later you'll see the desktop.

1.3 Start The Installation

Double-click on the "Install"-button on the desktop. The install wizard appears. Choose your preferred language and proceed.

Select the timezone nearest to your location and proceed.

Choose your keyboard layout and proceed.

Select how you want to partition the disk and proceed.

If you chose the manual partition in the window before, you'll see this window. Here you can create, modify or delete partitions and mount points.

Here you can import accounts, including their documents and settings, from other operating systems.

Enter the required data for your first account and the name for your computer into the corresponding fields.

This window contains the summary of your choices. If you want to change the device for the boot loader installation click on "Advanced" and change it to your needs. Click on "Install" when you agree to your choices.

The system is beeing installed.

Remove the installation media after the installation finished and restart your computer.

1.4 First Start

If there are no special reasons to do something else, hit enter (or simply wait a few seconds) to boot the default kernel.

Your system is starting up.

The login-screen appears. Log in with the username and password that you chose in the install wizard.

Cause this is the first start, an assistant will ask you a few questions in order to configure your system.

Here you can activate the root-account if you want - it's not recommended, but it's up to you.

In this window you have to choose the handling of NTFS-partitions. I recommend to use the fstab, because it's more flexible and fast enough. Don't forget to run the NFTS configuration tool (available in the applications menu in the bottom left corner) after the installation to enable the systemwide NFTS-support and/or mount NTFS-partitions on your hard disk (permanent).

If you want to see humorous quotes every time you open a terminal, mark the checkbox. (You don't really want this...)

The summary. Click on "Apply" if you agree to your choices.

Here you can see if all went ok - close this window by clicking the corresponding button.

Welcome to your desktop.